Scripture: Phillippians 2:12-13

Last week we looked at Jesus as child in the Jerusalem Temple, ready to be about Father’s business. But the time isn’t right, so Jesus goes back to his parents’ home in Nazareth and is obedient to them. From his parents, not through traveling w...

This New Year we are going to learn about the land of Israel, its features and reasons God brought his people there. We’ll also look at some lessons from the land itself. Since the people of Israel entered the land in the book of Joshua, we are...

Over the next couple of months, we will focus on an exploration of “Jesus our Jewish Messiah,” with the underlying premise that to understand Jesus and his teaching more fully, we need to understand who he was within culture of day. One of the ...

Scripture: Mark 5:21-43

Scripture: Phillippians 2:5-11

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11

Scripture: Philippians 1:27-30

What does it mean, according to Frederick Buechner, “that the Creator of the ends of the earth came among us in diapers”? What did that mean for him? We’ve explored various Christmas characters during this Advent season, asking the question: ho...

Have you ever played “Dutch Bingo?” When among Dutch-CRC people, it doesn’t take long before the name-game begins: Are you related to …? Do you know …? And it is only a matter of time before … BINGO! Once your ancestry is established (through y...

In Rome, Caesar Augustus is “Lord” (according to his subjects). In Jerusalem, Herod is “King of the Jews” (by title given by the Roman senate). In the Temple, the priests are awaiting the “Christ/Messiah” (or should be). So who would be the bes...

The Lord’s Prayer mostly deals with our relationship to God, without much outside interference. But in this last petition, he deals with the force of evil, which can have a negative influence on our lives (from outside, but also within). This i...

When God wanted to reveal what he was doing in the incarnation of his Son, what would you expect would be the most likely chain of revelation? You can imagine the Creator of the universe would have it just as carefully orchestrated. Perhaps sur...

Scripture: Phillipians 1:19-26

We continue to ask in this Advent season: how far was it to Bethlehem? In this story, we will visit the place where the Messiah is born, and we are joined by some strange characters.  Pagan astrologers chart our path, at least in the begin...

Sometimes we believe the worst about God, that he won’t forgive. But at other times, we are too cavalier with forgiveness: “to err is human, to forgive divine” — as if forgiveness is merely God’s job. This petition gives balance. Scrip...

Phillipians 1:12-18

Scripture: Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9-10

“Give us this day our daily bread” may be the most familiar petition in this familiar prayer. But overfamiliarity with a biblical passage can lead to misunderstanding, or can reduce it to a cliche’. What is this petition saying and does it stil...

Laodicea was an incredibly prosperous and magnificent city, standing on the Roman road to the east. They thought themselves completely selfsufficient. Apparently the church in Laodicea had that same sort of attitude, bragging about their wealth...

Scripture: Psalm 46 

Scripture: Psalm 63

Scripture: Philippians 1:9-11

Philadelphia was well-known for its commercial enterprises, but also as a stopping-point, a highway exit, on one’s way to the East. In that city was a small church, struggling to hang on to its witness there. Circumstances had caused that churc...

 Last time we looked at the petition in the Lord’s Prayer: “may your kingdom come.” We noted that the kingdom is God’s active rule that happens progressively in the world and in individual lives. To pray that petition is to pray both Jesus...